best way to clean old augur bits?

lustra wrote:
> I got one of those deals on a big box that contained more than 70 old
> augur bits for my brace drill. These bits are really gunky, dirty,
> some of them are rusty, but they are all filthy and covered with years
> of gunk. I have been thinking the best thing to do with them is to
> drop them in a bucket of mineral spirits and let them soak for a few
> hours, just to get at least the original crud off them. Any better
> ideas? I'd like to do the initial cleaning as easily as possible,
> then, when they're clean(er), I can look at the bits individually and
> scrub/clean/sharpen or discard as necessary. But I need to get to step
> 1 first...

Soak them in a bucket of degreaser (Simple Green would work), brush
them off with a stiff brush, then use an electrolysis pit to derust
them. (Google on electrolysis rust removal). Finally, spray them with
Boeshield or other rust preventive spray.

JP

Grinder with a wire wheel.

Hence the wire wheel - not something I'd use on caked dirt clods.

(owner of 3 generations of brace bits that all have a lovely brushed
finish from the wire wheel and no gunk anywhere.)

>
> I got one of those deals on a big box that contained more than 70 old
> augur bits for my brace drill. These bits are really gunky, dirty,
> some of them are rusty, but they are all filthy and covered with years
> of gunk. I have been thinking the best thing to do with them is to
> drop them in a bucket of mineral spirits and let them soak for a few
> hours, just to get at least the original crud off them. Any better
> ideas? I'd like to do the initial cleaning as easily as possible,
> then, when they're clean(er), I can look at the bits individually and
> scrub/clean/sharpen or discard as necessary. But I need to get to step
> 1 first...
>
> Thanks for any tips.
>
> Joe


I once bought a cardboard can full of bits in a thrift shop, very cool find. They were covered in
dirty grease (genuine gunk), I soaked them in a water based degreaser, for a day, like over night,
then cleaned them with paper towels and a bucket of water to rinse, then dried them with a clean
rag towel. Worked great. Leonard Lee's "The Sharpening Book" shows how to sharpen them
and I followed that for one bit, so far. That special file will need replacing more often than it
seems, so you might want to buy at least a few or four to start. Small filing stones also work,
Norton and Arkansas, with oil. As far as rust, steel wool and wd-40. Congrats on the find.

--
Alex - "newbie_neander" woodworker
cravdraa_at-yahoo_dot-com
not my site: http://www.e-sword.net/

> Grinder with a wire wheel.
>

I think he said "gunk" ... not caked dirt clots

Excellent tips. Thanks. Joe

On 1 Nov 2005 11:51:13 -0800, "Jay Pique" <[email protected]>
wrote:

>
>lustra wrote:
>> I got one of those deals on a big box that contained more than 70 old
>> augur bits for my brace drill. These bits are really gunky, dirty,
>> some of them are rusty, but they are all filthy and covered with years
>> of gunk. I have been thinking the best thing to do with them is to
>> drop them in a bucket of mineral spirits and let them soak for a few
>> hours, just to get at least the original crud off them. Any better
>> ideas? I'd like to do the initial cleaning as easily as possible,
>> then, when they're clean(er), I can look at the bits individually and
>> scrub/clean/sharpen or discard as necessary. But I need to get to step
>> 1 first...
>
>Soak them in a bucket of degreaser (Simple Green would work), brush
>them off with a stiff brush, then use an electrolysis pit to derust
>them. (Google on electrolysis rust removal). Finally, spray them with
>Boeshield or other rust preventive spray.
>
>JP